Cigar-bunching machine



3Sheets-Sheet 1. M. GREENSFELDER.

fligar-Bunching Machine.

NO. 226,849. PatentedApr-il 27,1880.

r V WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

L/v n M WM a g I ATTORNEYS N. PETERS. PHOTO-LiTHGGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D L7v 3 Sheets -Sheet 2.

Mi GREENSF ELDER. Oigar-.Bunching Machine.

Patented'April 27, I880.

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. GREENSFELDER. Gigar-Bpnohi'ng Machine.

No. 226,849. Patented April 27,1880.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

f AT'IJORNBYS.

"NJETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAPKBI, WASHINGTON, u c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOSES GBEENSFELDEB, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CIGAR-BUNCIHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,849, dated April 27, 1880.

Application filed July 29, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Moses GREENSFELDER, of Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Cigar- Bunching Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Myinvention is embodied in organized mechanism for laying a binder, filling in, rolling up the filler, depositing the bunch in the mold, and shifting the mold automatically.

The details of construction and operation of parts are as hereinafter described, reference being had to accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 asectional elevation, of my machine, showing the parts in position to begin their operation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of the machine, the hopper and binder-layingmechanism being detached and certain parts being broken away. Fig. 4. is a side view of a portion of the machine reduced, illustrating the position of certain partswhen depositing and pressing bunches in the mold. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line as as, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail section on line z 2, Fig. 3, showing the position of the binder-cutters just as the main rollerbegins to act on them.

The devices for laying the binders for the cigar-bunches consist of two rolls, A B, and an apron, G. The latter is wound around the roller A, and the binders are held between the wrapped portions thereof.

The roller B is intermittently rotated by means hereinafter described to draw olf from roll A and wind upon itself the apron G, and during each such movement a binder is delivered upon the apron E beneath the rolls AB.

To prevent the binders adhering to the apron G as the apron is unwound, I arrange a plate, D, between the rolls so that its upper edge will catch the edge of the binders and detach them as they are successively brought forward.

A spring (not shown) is arranged to press upon the axis or shaft of roll A to prevent its rotating, and thus slackening the apron O at the times when the roll B is stationary.

The axes of both rolls A B have their bearings in notched plates F, and are locked therein by slotted sliding hook-plates F. attached to the sides of the latter. By sliding the plates F upward the axes of the rolls will be released, so that the rolls may be detached when required for the purpose of rewinding the apron on roll A and securing a new lot of binders thereon.

The notched plates F are provided with sockets or loops, to adapt them for attachment to the ends of rigid arms G, forming part of the frame of the machine.

By removing bolts to the plates F and their attachments may be conveniently detached when desired-as,for instance, when it is preferred to lay the binders by hand.

The tobacco to be used as cigar-fillin gs made by the machine is placed in or supplied to the hopper H. A cylinder, I, to which a vibrating motion is imparted, is placed beneath the slotted bottom of the hopper, and is provided with a lengthwise recess, into which the quantity of tobacco required for a filling is forced at each oscillation of the cylinder by means of the vibrating pusher K. The latter consists of a horizontal shaft having pendent arms, which swing in the hopper H and push the tobacco toward the opening or slot in the hopper-bottom. In such movement of the pusher K it also engages the arm a of the hinged plate L, which covers the slot, and raises it, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. When the said plate is thus released it serves to guide the charge 7 or filling into the cavity in the cylinder I, and then, on being released by the pusher K, presses upon the charge and compacts it to the required degree. To enable the presserplate L to perform this function it is weighted or else acted on by a spring. (Not shown.) So soon as the cylinder I has thus received its charge it rotates a part of arevolution,so that its cavity willbe exposed in front of the hopper, when the charge is at once ejected by the curved plate M. The latter is arranged in the cavity of the cylinder I, and its movement is in a radial direction. Such movement may be caused by a weight or spring. In this instance I employ a spring, 0, which encircles a stem or rod, 0, projecting back from the ejector M through the body of the cylinder I. As the cylinder rotates the stem 0 comes in contact with the tappet or fixed arm 01 of the hopper A, which forces the ejector M outward.

The quantity of tobacco received into the cavity of the cylinder I may be gaged or regulated by means of an adjustable plate, N, which is placed in the cavity and provided with slotted lugs c, that are curved concentrically with the cylinder. Screwsfpass through the lugs c, and serve to clamp the plate N in different adjustments, in and out, relative to the periphery of the cylinder, Fig. 3.

The charge of tobacco ejected from the cylinder I falls upon the fixed apron O and rolls down into a binder which has been previously laid upon the apron E in the space between the roller P and tilting plate R. Thelatteris pivoted near the middle of its length, and the roller is caused to travel up and down over it by means which will be presently described.

The apron E is secured to the upper end of the tilting plate R, and at its lower end to a bar, S, which is adjustably attached to the tilting plate by means of screws h, which pass through slots in its bent ends, Fig. 1. By this means any required slack may be given to the apron E. As the roller P is carried up over the plate B it is rotated by the friction of the apron E with it, and such friction is regulated by the smaller roller T, which presses the apron against the larger roll P.

The pressure is regulated by screws which pass through arc-slots in the pivoted levers U, in whose outer ends the roller P has its bearings.

Various other means may be employed to adjust the pressure between the rollers.

As the large roller P ascends the lower end of apron E is held stretched taut by the pressure of small roller T on roller P, and thus causes the upper portion of the same to remain slack, and such slack portion forms a fold or sort of bag between the roller P and tilting plate R, as shown in Fig. 2, in which bight the filler is received, rolled, and pressed. The rolling action is due to the apron E traveling over the roller P as the latter travels up over the plate Rthat is to say, the roller continually takes up the slack as it moves up over the tilting plate, and when the roller has passed beyond the upper end of plate B, Fig. 4, and thus reached the limit of its upward movement, the slack which formed the bag has been all taken up, and hence the bunch, which has been well rolled, is ejected or pushed out, and enters one of the cavities in mold-plate U, which lies behind the tilting plate R. The roller P then descends to the lower position. (Shown in dotted lines, Fig 2.)

During the traversing movement of the roller P, just described, the small roller T rotates in a direction opposite to the roller P, the rotation of both being caused by friction with the apron E. When the two rollers ascend over the tilting plate R the lower end of the apron E is subjected to tension and the upper portion is slack, but vice versa when they descend, the upper end of the apron beingsubjcct-ed to tension and thelower portion slackened; and when the rollers reach the limit of the downward movementboth portions of the apron are stretched taut. The first movement of the roller P is from the dotted position shown in Fig. 2, and brings the apron close to the tilting plate R, as shown in full lines, Fig. 2, and during such movement it does not rotate, although the apron E is griped firmly between the rollers P T. This first position of the roller P is that required to form the bag in the apron to receive the binder and the filling. As the roller P ascends, as before described, over the plate It the hunch is subjected to extra pressure (and thus made more dense or compact and firm than it would otherwise be) by means of a spring-plate, c, which forms the main part of the bottom of the tilting plate B, being hinged to the fixed portion (1 of such bottom, as shown in Fig. 2.

A spring, V, is placed beneath the upper end of said plate a for the purpose of press ing the latter upward against the apron .E. The pressure thus exerted on the bunch being rolled graduallyincreases as the bunch moves upward toward the mold U, because the plate R tilts downward.

The pressure may be regulated by adjusting the spring V, which may be efitected in various ways In this instance I support the spring on slotted plates or lugs 0, secured by screws to the sides of the mold-holder.

When the roller P ascends its axis rolls on the edges of the sides of the tilting plate R. Slotted adjustable plates f may be attached to these sides for the axis to run on and to support the roller at a greater or less distance from the bottom of the tilting plate. 4

I will now describe the mechanism for operating the roller P. The axis W of the latter has no fixed bearings, but is extended, and passes through lengthwise slots in levers X and between the forks of levers Z. The levers X are pivoted to the rear portion of the bedplate Y of the machine, and levers Z are pivoted to the front portion of said bed-plate.

Between the levers X and Z on each side of the machine is fixed a cam, A, having a curved slot, through which the axis W of the rollerprojects. To the upper portion of such cam is hinged a spring-presser, B, which consists of a long gently-curved bar having a camprojection, g, on its under side at a point just over the highest portion of the cam A.

The function of the levers X and Z is to move the roller P up and down, and the function of cam A is to guide the roller and control its position during the first part of its movement, while the function of bars B is to press it against the tilting plate R. The camprojections g of the spring-pressers serve to press the roller P inward toward the tilting plate R, and thus properly close the mouth of the bag formed by the apron E, so that the filler will be held firmly when the roller begins to ascend and the apron begins to move over it.

The levers Z, by means of lever 0, move the roller upward from the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, to the position shown in full lines, same figure, or until its axis W has passed out of the cam-groove A and the bag has been closed on the filler. The levers X then come into action and carry the roller P upward until the bunch is deposited in the mold U. The two sets of levers act in reverse succession for carrying the roller back to its original position.

To operate-t. 6., tiltthe levers X Z, I may employ a treadle or power mechanism, or even operate them by hand. In this instance I show hand-levers O, which are connected by a rockshaft, D, and to the forked levers Z by rods E. An arm, F, projects from one of said levers O, and a rod, Gr, extends therefrom to the gear H, to which it is eccentrically attached. Said gear is fixed on the axis of cylinder I, and meshes with a smaller gear, I, on the shaft of the pusher K. Thus, by raising the forked levers Z, by means of levers O, the roller P will be raised to the intermediate position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and then by raising the slotted levers X they will carry the roller upward, and at the same time the gears H I will be oscillated circumferentially and impart like motion to the cylinder I and pusher K.

An arm, K, is pivoted eccentrically to the larger gear H, and its front end is detachably connected with a wrist-pin, h, on the rim of a disk, L, which is loose on the axis of the lower roll, B, of the binder-laying mechanism.

The disk L has a pawl that engages a ratchet, t', fixed on said shaft, and the oscillations of the disk, which are necessarily coincidentwith those of the gear H, impart-intermittent rotary motion to the rolls A B, as before described.

As the roller P ascends over the tilting plate R the circular cutters m, Fig. 3, on its respective ends, coact with fixed knife-edges 0 on the sides of said plate and sever the ends of the binder which incloses the filler proper; but preliminary to this action the ends of the binder are clamped and held by means of the pivoted fingers or arms M. The latter are forked and pivoted to the sides of the table B, so that when the roller P ascends and descends its axis will alternately close and open the clamps by striking the arms thereof. When, in its ascending'movement, the roller P has passed above the pivot of the plate R, the pressure of the spring-levers B on the axis of the former will cause the plate to tilt, which not only brings its upper end into the desired proximity to enable a bunch to be delivered into one of the mold-cavities, but also causes the cross-bar or red N, which is attached to the end of the tilting plate, to press upon the bunch next above that which was last deposited in the mold.

The mold U slides in a holder or frame, 0, i

which is intermittently adjusted upward by means of devices operated by the levers X.

A rack or series of teeth, P, are formed on.

the under side of the mold-plate U, and with these a sliding pawl, Q, engages. is operated by a lever, R, operated directly by the levers X.

To hold the mold-holder O fixed in any adjustment, a sprin g-lockin g device, S, is arranged to engage the rack-teeth P. Thus the mold is moved the distance bf the space between any two of its contiguous cavities automaticall y at each vibration of the levers X and tilt of the plate R, and abunch is deposited in a cavity, and the one next above it is pressed into its cavity by rod N, Fig. 4, each time the mold is at rest. WVhen the moldis -filled with bunches it is removed and an empty one substituted.

Instead of the hopper H being arranged as shown, I propose in practice to locate it nearly vertically over the roller P and to place the binder-laying mechanism higher.

hat I claim is-- 1. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the binder laying rolls and their connecting-apron 0, operating intermittently, with the apron E, roller P, and table or plate It, as shown and described.

2. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with the rolls A B and connectingapron 0, of the pivoted clearer -plate 1), located between said rolls and beneath the apron, as specified.

3. Ina cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the ratchet-plate t, loose pawl-disk having wrist-pin It, the gear H and eccentrically-attached arm K, the oscillating cylinder 1, having the said gear H fixed on its axis, and a pusher which ejects from the cylinder the tobacco required for a filler,as specified.

4. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with the slotted hopper and oscillating slotted cylinder, of the vibrating pusher K, the hinged weighted presser L, closing over the slot in the hopper, and the gears H 1, rod G, and lever G, as shown and described.

5. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with the slotted hopper and oscillating cylinder having alengthwise open slot, of the gage plate having slotted lugs e, and the screws f, which pass through the lugs and secure the gage-plate in different positions or adjustments, as specified.

6. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the traversing roller and apron with the pivoted tilting plate and mold, whereby the bunches are rolled and deposited in the mold when the pivoted plate tilts, as specified.

7. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the forked levers Z, slotted levers X, presser-bars B, and slotted cams A with the roller having its axis extended, as specified, and the apron and plate, over which lat- Said pawl ter the roller is made to traverse by the successive action of the levers, as shown and described.

8. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the spring presser-bars B with the roller P, apron E, tilting plate R, and levers X for moving the roller, as specified.

9. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combi nation, with the plate R, apron E, the roller P, and suitable mechanism for moving thelatter over and pressing it upon said plate, of a spring-plate, forming part or all of the bottom of the plate It, and acting to press the bunch while being rolled, as shown and described.

10. In acigar-bunching machine, the combination of the plate or bed R, the pivoted hifurcated clamps for holding down the binder, the apron E, the roller, and the cutters applied thereto for severing the ends of the binder, as shown and described.

11. In acigar-bnnching machine, the combination of the pivoted tilting plate and the presser-bar N attached thereto, the mold an ranged beneath the plate, the roller P, which traverses the plate, and spring-pressers B, for 2 5 of the levers R and X, the apron E, roller P,

spring-pressers B, and tilting plate and presser-bar N, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

13. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the mold-plate and mold-holder O, 5

provided with ratchet-teeth on its under side, the locking spring-catch S, the sliding springpawl Q, which engages the teeth of the moldplate, the slotted lever B, and levers X, and

the roller P, spring-pressers, and tilting plate R, as shown and described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 7th day of July, 1879.

MOSES GBEENSFELDER.

WVitnesses AMOS W. HART, mm 0. KEMON. 

